1. History of Biotechnology
Unit 9: Microbiology

2. What is Biotechnology?
Biotechnology: the branch of molecular biology that studies the use of microorganisms to perform specific industrial processes; "biotechnology produced genetically altered bacteria that solved the problem" 

3. Biotechnology in B.C.
500 BC:  The Chinese use moldy curds as an antibiotic to treat boils
250 BC: The Greeks practice crop rotation to increase soil fertility
100 BC: Chinese use powdered chrysanthemum as an insecticide

4. Pre-20th Century Biotechnology
1590: Janssen invents the microscope
1663: Hooke discovers cells
1675: Leeuwenhoek discovers bacteria and protozoa
1797: Jenner inoculates a child with a viral vaccine to protect him from smallpox
1802: 1st time the term “biology” is used

5. Pre-20th Century Biotechnology
1830: Proteins, the building blocks of cells, are discovered
1833: The nucleus of the cell is discovered
1855: The E. coli bacterium is discovered
1855: Pasteur works with yeast, eventually proving they are living organisms
1863: Mendel discovers genes while working with peas. He lays the groundwork for genetics.

6. Pre-20th Century Biotechnology
1879: Flemming discovers chromatins
1883: The rabies vaccine is developed
1888: Waldyer discovers the chromosome

7. Biotechnology In The First Part Of The 20th Century
1902: The term "immunology" first used
1906: The term "genetics" is used
1915: Bacterial viruses, called phages, are discovered
1919: The word "biotechnology" is first used
1927: Muller discovers that X-rays cause mutation
1928: Fleming discovers penicillin
1938: The term "molecular biology" is used
1941: The term "genetic engineering" is first used

8. Biotechnology In The First Part Of The 20th Century
1942: The electron microscope is used and characterizes viruses that infect bacteria, called bacteriaphages
1944: DNA is shown to be the building block of the gene
1949: Pauling proves that sickle cell anemia is a "molecular disease" caused by a mutation

9. Biotechnology in the 1950s and 1960s
1953: Watson and Crick understand the structure of DNA
1954: Cell-culturing techniques are first used
1955: An enzyme involved in the production of a nucleic acid is isolated
1956: The fermentation process is perfected
1960: Messenger RNA is discovered
1961: The genetic code is understood

10. Biotechnology in the 1970s
1972: The DNA composition of humans is shown to be 99% similar to that of chimps and gorillas
1977: Genetically-engineered bacteria are used to make human growth protein
1978: North Carolina scientists, Hutchinson and Edgell, prove it is possible to introduce specific mutations at specific sites in a DNA molecule
1979: The first monoclonal antibodies are synthesized

11. Biotechnology in the 1980s
1980: The U.S. Supreme Court approves the patenting of genetically-engineered life forms
1980: The U.S. patent for gene cloning is awarded to Boyer and Cohen.
1981: The North Carolina Biotechnology Center is created—the 1st state-sponsored research center for biotechnology
1981: The first genetically-engineered plant is reported
1981: 1st mice to be successfully cloned
1982: Humulin, human insulin drug, produced by genetically-engineered bacteria (first biotech drug approved by the FDA)

12. Biotechnology in the 1980s
1983: The first artificial chromosome is made
1983: The first genetic markers for specific inherited diseases are found
1984: The DNA fingerprinting technique is developed.
1984: The first genetically-engineered vaccine is developed. 1986: The first biotech-derived interferon drugs for the treatment of cancer are synthesized
1988: Congress funds the Human Genome Project
1989: Microorganisms are used to clean up the Exxon Valdez oil spill

13. Biotechnology in the 1990s
1990: The first federally-approved gene therapy treatment is performed successfully
1992: The structure of HIV RT is elucidated
1993:The FDA declares that genetically engineered foods are "not inherently dangerous"
1994: The first breast cancer gene is discovered
1996: Scientists clone identical lambs from early embryonic sheep

14. Biotechnology in the 1990s
1998: Scientists clone three generations of mice from nuclei of adult ovarian cells
1998: Embryonic stem cells are used to regenerate tissue and create disorders that mimic diseases
1998: The Biotechnology Institute is founded by BIO as an independent, national, 501(c)(3) education organization
1999: The genetic code of the human chromosome is deciphered

15. Biotechnology 2000 and Beyond
2000: A rough draft of the human genome is completed
2000: Pigs are the next animal cloned by researchers to help produce organs for human transplant
2001: The sequence of the human genome is published in Science and Nature
2002: Scientists complete the sequence of the pathogen of rice, a fungus that ruins enough rice to feed 60 million people annually
2003: Dolly, the cloned sheep from 1997, is euthanized

16. Resources